Marvel's 2099 Is Far Darker Than It Appears In Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse
"Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" gives longtime web-heads plenty of highly anticipated firsts. From the first live-action appearance of Aaron Davis/The Prowler in costume (played by the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Donald Glover, no less) to the first cinematic portrayals of classic spidey characters like Jessica Drew (Issa Rae) and Ben Reilly (Andy Samberg), there's almost too much faithfully broken ground to fathom before the credits roll.
However, one new addition to the mainstream "Spider-Verse" canon lacks the comic book fidelity righteously flaunted by other aspects of the film — the futuristic Spider-Topia of Nueva York. While its portrayal is perfect for the purposes of the story Phil Lord and Chris Miller wanted to tell, new fans will probably be shocked by how much it differs from its Marvel Comics counterpart. Before you start ripping through the classic "Marvel 2099" comics of the late '90s expecting to see dozens of colorful Spider-Folks from various films, shows, and video games hanging out together, you may want to ready yourself for a much grittier journey.
Nueva York is not all smiles and sunshine
In the comics, Nueva York is the primary setting for Marvel's proto-apocalyptic "Spider-Man 2099" universe, from which Miguel O'Hara (Oscar Isaac) originally hails. In both the comics and the film, it is sequestered in the alternate universe of Earth-928. While audiences don't get to see much of Nueva York outside the Spider-Society headquarters, it appears to be a bright utopia. Visually, it's presented with tall, glistening buildings, abundant sunlight, and a surprising amount of greenery seen all around.
The Nueva York of Marvel's 2099, however, is a dark world in every sense of the world. Primarily drawn in dark blues, blacks, and reds, Nueva York is a world defined and constricted by a sociopathic corporatocracy that controls the media, law enforcement, and religion. It's a world where police officers play judge, jury, and executioner, and bloodthirsty CEOs use images of Thor and Captain America to bend the city to their will.
Though it's understandable why this version of Nueva York would be too complex for a film that already requires two separate 120-minute parts, those inspired by "Spider-Verse" to dive into the comics should be prepared for the bleak world that awaits them.